Air cooled picking spindle



R. G. TURNER AIR COOLED PICKING SPINDLE Filevd Feb. 1', 1941 r FIEJ 2J l a5' FIG. E

Oct. 21, 1941.

AT TQRNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1941 AIR C'OOLED were' SNDLEL Richard G. Turner, -Worcester,"Mas's., assign'orto v Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 1, 1941/,1 serial ivo. 377,024

s claims. (o1. 139-158) This invention relates to improvements in picking spindles foi` looms and it is the general object g of the invention to provide for cooling' thespindle during loom operation. f

In certain types of looms the shuttle picker slides along a spindle secured to the .lay and is propelled by a picker stick which is ordinarily given a picking stroke during the rearward motion of the lay. VWhen high loom speeds are ob-` tained the heat developed by the frictional sliding of the rawhide picker along the spindle is sufficient to damage the picker. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a hollow spindle the ends of which are connected to oppositely facing intake and exhaust bells or mouths to cause circulation of air through the spindle as the lay swings backwardly and forwardly.

In the usual loom the lay starts from a state of temporary rest at front center and attains its maximum speed approximately at so-called tcp center, after which the lay speed is diminished and reaches zero at the back center position of the lay. The picking is ordinarily set to occur when the lay is on top center and the frictional heat is developed while the lay is moving most rapidly. In providing the arrangement set forth in detail hereinafter I cause the flow of air through the spindle to become a maximum at the time of picking to dissipate the heat when it is being developed. This resultI accomplish by parts which are preferably fixed to the lay and depend solely upon the back and forth motion of the lay to create the heat dissipating currents of air through the spindle. l

Loom lays ordinarily swing through an arc six inches or so in length and it is --a further object of my present invention to provide the intake and exhaust bells of such size as to cause a volume of air substantially larger than the volume of the bore through the spindle to pass through the latter on each backward and forward motion of the lay.

It is a further object of my' invention tov place the air bells at the opposite ends'of the spindle and pointing in different directions, one forwardly and the other backwardly, air being forced into" one bell at the same time that a partial Y vacuum is being created behind the other bell.

In this way the difference in pneumatic pressure between the ends of the spindle is due not only toa super-atmospheric pressure created at the bell which faces the direction in which the lay moves, Vbut also subatmospheric pressurecreated at the other bell which faces in the opposite direction. Y f

With these and other'objects in View which will appear 'as the description proceeds, my in' vention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth. In the accompanying drawing, wherein a con-V venient embodiment of my invention is set forth, Fig. 1 is a plan View of one end of the lay look-V ing from the rear of the loom and showing my invention applied thereto,V Fig. 2 is a'rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, K

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 through the spindle and bells con'- A nected to it, l

Fig. 4 is a vertical'section on line 14`4 of Fig.3, .y

Fig. 5 is avertical section on line`5-5 Yof Fig.l,and.4 1

Fig. 6 is a detailed end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale. Referring to the drawing, the loom lay L may beprovided with inner and outer box guides I0 and H, respectively, for guiding agang G of shuttleboxes which may be raised or lowered in any approved manner by a force transmitted through a box lifter rod I2.` The gang in the present instance comprises upper and lower cells I3 and I4, respectively, which contain shuttles S and S', respectively. The boxes are shifted vertically to place one or another of the shuttles in active position to be picked over they shuttle race R. The lay is reciprooated'in the usual manner as by the lay connectors one of which is shown at l5. By reason of the connectors the lay moves from a front center position rearwardly to a back center position and then has its vmotion reversed to move forwardly. vOne complete reciprocation of the lay corresponds to a beat of the loom.

vThe shuttle in active position is propelled by a picker 20 which engages the outer tip of the shuttle and is moved from the left to the right lay end will carry a support 28 provided with a cap 29 similar to cap 21. The caps are held tightly in position by bolts 30 to clamp the spindle 3| to supports 26 and 28 and in fixed position with respect to the lay end. The spindle extends between supports 26 and 28 and also passes through the picker to serve as a guide for the latter when it is given a picking stroke.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated a gang of shifting shuttle boxes with which the spindle type of pick is customarily employed, but I do not wish to be limited to a loom having shifting shuttle boxes. The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itselfforms vno part of my present invention except as pointedV I provide the spindle 3l with a bore 35 extending throughout its length and preferably having the left end thereof closed Ywith a plug 36. The cap 29 has tapped thereinto the threaded end 31 of an air bell 38 having a vertically elongated mouthl 39. The interior of the bell is pneumatif. cally connected to the bore 35 by the tapped holev 40 in cap 29 which receives the end 31 of bell 38 and also by a hole 4l in the spindle which registers with. the tapped hole 43); The Vmouth 39 of b ell 38 faces forwardly and extends above `the support 23.

' The inner and right hand en d of the spindle 3| may be extended beyond the lug 26 Yto ,have secured thereto as at 155 the shell 46 of Van air bell 41 having a vertically elongated mouth 48 which faces rearwardly. All the parts associated with the spindle are preferably 4fixed with respect to and move backwardly and yforwardlyV with the lay.

As the lay reciprocates during loom operation one or the other of the bells will always be facing in the direction in which thle lay is travelling while the other bell will face in the'opposite direction. When the lay is moving forwardly for instance from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, superfatmospheric pressures will be de-l veloped immediately in front `of the mouth V3l and air will pass into the bell 3,8 in the direction of arrow a. At the same time a zone of sub-atmospheric pressure will exist behind the rearwardly facing mouth 43 tending to move air `out o f it in the direction of arrow b. Under these conditions air in the bore 35 will move to the right and pass through `the spindle to cool it. `Vllhen the lay motion reverses and moves rearwardly toward the dotted line position of Fig. 1, a partial vacuum will b e createdrbehind theintake mouth 39 and the air will tend to move out-4 wardly therefrom in the direction of arrow c, while at the opposite end of the spindle thje advancing mouth 48 will receive air inthe direction of arrow d and air will move to the .left in the bore 35. r

The rate of'motion of air within the spindle4 its approximately proportional to the rate at` which the lay is moving, and under ordinary conditions this rate is .at a maximum when the, picker is given a picking stroke along the spindle.` The heat is therefore developed at atime in the loom cycle when air moves through the spindle4 at its highest Velocity and its cooling effect is ,at a maximum. The cross-sectional areav of .the intake mouths 39 and 48 together with the sweep of the lay is such as to cause a suflicient amount of air to moveinto the spindle to eff-ect a complete change of air within its bore35.

The picker will ordinarily be at rest 'with respect to the lay during that beat of the loom when the active shuttle is at the opposite end of the lay and this fact taken with the further condition that the picker has its working stroke during the backward motion only of the lay results in four exchanges of air within the spindle for each picking operation of the picker. The fact that the direction of air` within the bore 35 alternates tends to keep it clear of lint.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for cooling the interior of the picker spindle by a column of air caused to move through it as the lay reciprocates. It will further be seen that the oppositely facing bells V38 and 41 cooperate during any stroke of the lay .to produce a superatmospheric pressure at one end of the spindle and a sub-atmospheric pressure at the opposite end. VIt will also be noted that the `bells operate to cause air to ow through the4 .Spindle on both the backward and forward ,Strokes of the lay and that the maximum flow of air occurs at the time of picking when frictional heat is developed. Y

I-Iaving thus described my invention it will .be Seen that changes and modifications may be' madel therein by those skilled in the art without .departing from the Spirit. and scope of the inver.- tion and I do not wish to .be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. a loorn havinga backwardly and for,- wardly reciprocating lay on which is mounted a hollow picker spindle which'is heated by sliding 0f a shuttle picker therealong, Va hollow member mounted on the lay having the interior thereof in 4connnuI iication with one end of the interior of the spindle and having a forwardly .facing mouth exposed to the atmosphere, anda secondVv hollow member having the interior thereof 'in communication with the interior of the other end `o f the hollow spindle and having a rear-A wardly facing mouth exposed to the atmosphere, motion .of the lay either backwardly or forwardf ly creating super-atmospheric pressures at the mouth .of one fof said members and subfatmosf, pheric pressures atk the mouthof the other mem: ber to cause a flow of air through the hollow spindle to cool the same.

2,. In a looin having a backwardly and for. wardly reciprocating lay on which is mounted a hollow picker spindle which is hleated by slidingof a'shuttle picker therealong, a pair of air Ybells mounted on the lay and each having an interior cavity, one of said cavitiesv .communicating with the interior of the hollow spindle vadjacent, to one. end of the latter While the cavity of the .other bell communicateswith the interior of the spine, dle adjacent to the other` end thereof, one-of said bells having an opening exposed tothe atmose phere and facing forwardly and the'other bell having an opening exposed to the atmosphere and facing rearwardly, motion of the lay either backwardly or `forwardly causing a diiference of' at' mospheric pressures Within the cavities to eftfect movement of air through the hollow spindles to cool the same. `f 3, In a loom having a backwardlyand fon-y wardly reciprocating lay on which is' mounted a hollow picker spindle which is heated by sliding of a Shuttle picker therealcng, means ac ijacentv to one end of the spindle having a rearwardly fac/ipe mouth open to the atmosphere and 1n' pneumatic communication with `the interior of @me @ed 0f. thhollow spindle, and means at nl@k 0.511,?? @11d Qf the. spindle having a fovyyfqly fag-i1'A ing mouth open to the atmosphere and in pneumatic communication with the interior of the spindle at the other end thereof, the lay when moving rearwardly creating a higher pneumatic pressure in one of said mouths than in the other mouth to cause air to pass through the hollow spindle in one direction and the lay moving forwardly creating a higher pneumatic pressure in said other mouth than in said one mouth to cause air to flow through the hollow spindle in a direction opposite to said given direction.

4. In a loom having a lay movable in a given direction between two extreme horizontal positions and having thereon a hollow picker spindle which is heated by a shuttle picker sliding therealong, the hollow interior of the spindle at one end thereof being in communication with the atmosphere, and means connected to the other end of the spindle having a cavity in pneumatic communication with the hollow interior of the spindle at the other end of the latter, said means having also a mouth open to the atmosphere and facing in said given direction, motion of the lay in said given direction creating superatmospheric pressure within said cavity to induce a flow of air through the hollow spindle to cool the same.

5. In a loom having a lay movable in a given direction between two extreme horizontal positions and having thereon a hollow picker spindle which is heated by a shuttle picker sliding therealong, the hollow interior of the spindle at one end thereof being in communication with the atmosphere, and means connected to the other end of the spindle having a cavity in pneumatic communication with the hollow interior of the spindle at the other end of the latter, said means having also a mouth open to the atmosphere and facing in a direction opposite to said given direction, motion of the lay in said given direction creating sub-atmospheric pressure within said cavity to induce a flow of air through the hollow spindle to cool the samer- 6. In a loom having a lay movable in a given direction between two eXtreme horizontal positions and having thereon a hollow picker spindle which is heated by a shuttle picker sliding therealong, the interior of the spindle at one end thereof being open to the atmosphere, and means connected to the other end of the spindle having a cavity in pneumatic communication with the hollow interior of the spindle at the other end thereof, said means having a mouth open to the atmosphere facing in said given direction, movement of the lay in said given direction creating super-atmospheric pressure within said cavity to induce a flow of air through the spindle in one direction to cool said spindle, and movement of the lay in the opposite direction creating sub-atmospheric pressure in said cavity to induce a flow of air through said spindle in the opposite direction to cool said spindle.

7. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay which attains its highest rate of motion when substantially midway between front and back extreme positions thereof, the lay having a hollow picker spindle which is heated by a shuttle picker having a picking stroke along the spindle when the lay is substantially midway between front and back eX- treme positions, the interior of the spindle being open to the atmosphere adjacent one end of. the spindle, and hollow means having the interior thereof in communication with the interior of the hollow spindle adjacent the other end of the latter and having also a mouth open 'to the atmosphere and facing in a direction in which the lay moves, said means moving with the lay and the motion of the latter creating abnormal atmospheric pressures within the cavity to induce a flow of air through the hollow spindle to cool the latter, the rate of the flow of air through the spindle being dependent upon the rate of motion of the lay and being greatest substantially at the same time the shuttle picker has a picking stroke along said spindle.

8.'In a loom having a baokwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay which attains its highest rate of motion when substantially midway between front and back extreme positions thereof, the lay having a hollow picker spindle which is heated by a shuttle picker having a picking stroke along the spindle when the lay is moving rearwardly and substantially midway betwleen the front and back extreme positions thereof, a pair of hollow members carried by the lay and each having a cavity, the cavity of one of said members communicating with the interior of the hollow spindle adjacent one end of the latter an-d the cavity of the other member communicating with the interior of the hollow spindle adjacent the other end of said spindle, one of said means having a mouth communicating with the atmosphere and facing rearwardly and the other member having a mouth facing forwardly and communicating with the atmosphere, motion of the lay either backwardly or forwardly creating super-atmospheric pressures in the cavity of one of said members and sub-atmospheric pressures in the cavity of the other member to induce a now of air through the hollow spindle to cool the same, the rate of flow of air through the cylinder being dependent upon the rate of motion of the lay and being greatest when the shuttle picker has a picking stroke along the picker spindle.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

